Wall plaque of vintage woodworking tools

The man was standing just behind me, over my left shoulder, his gaze as intent as mine. We were both looking at a huge board covered with old metal and wooden tools hanging on a wall at the auction house.

He appeared to be as puzzled as me. The piece seemed to be masquerading as artwork, and it was among the most unusual yet interesting items I had seen. It resembled found art – our everyday throwaways that in the right hands can yield beautiful art forms. With this piece, someone had made art not from found objects, but from objects of use and functionality.

The vintage look of the tools made the piece interesting – not only to the two of us but to other auction-goers who also stopped by to partake. We were all used to seeing tools – vintage and new, used and unused – stacked or lying haphazardly on auction tables or under them in Craftsman tool boxes or antique tool chestslong ago forgotten.

An up-close view of the wall plaque of vintage woodworking tools presented to Robert and Ellen Cox.

I found the piece so intriguing that I had come back around for a second look when the other auction-goer came up behind me.

The hand tools were quite varied, from an ax to a mallet to clamps to augers to a plane. All seemed to have been well used. Some were tools I hadn’t seen before, but I realized later that these were woodworking tools, likely used to build kitchen cabinets.

Attached to the wooden board near the bottom was a brass plate with an inscription:

There was no date and nothing more on the board, so I went sleuthing. Cox Kitchens and Baths Inc. is a family-owned remodeling and design company in Baltimore. Robert Cox started the company in his home in 1950, and he and his wife Ellen built it up together, according to a history of the company on its website. It was later taken over by their daughter and her family. Their children and grandchildren now run the company, according to the website.

Cox and his wife helped develop standards for kitchen and bath design, according to the website, and traveled the country teaching others about design. I could find nothing more about the Coxes. The company sells countertops, cabinets, fixtures and flooring. Here are some of its designs.

A metal plate honoring the couple as 25-year customers of a cabinet company.

After reading the inscription on the metal plate, I decided that this was a wall plaque. Instead of giving the couple a common plaque you’d buy from a trophy shop, Rich Maid apparently decided to present this one-of-a-kind gift to one of its longtime customers. Honoring them with a plaque displaying vintage woodworking tools was a grand idea.

The piece sold at auction for $250, which seemed like a pretty good price for about two dozen vintage woodworking tools.

Follow Auction Finds

Book Me to Speak on “Historical Treasures in Your Home”

Our houses are filled with memorabilia and artifacts that are part of our family's history and legacy. But far too often we don't know what we have or assume it's worth very little or nothing.

What valuable items are in your home or a family member's home?

I can show you what to look for, how to research its market value online, how to get it appraised by a licensed appraiser, and whether to keep it, donate it or sell it.

Contact me for a presentation before your group or organization, and have everyone to bring along an item to be evaluated. This flyer shows some items that have sold at auction.

About Sherry Howard

I started going to auctions to fuel my love for African American art – but at a bargain. I love the old masters: Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Hughie Lee-Smith. I wanted to find their works and discover other veteran artists whose works may have been hiding in an attic or basement, and forgotten.

I’m a journalist by profession: I was a newspaper reporter and editor. Now, I’m taking what I did as a journalist – peeling back the covers of people’s lives and writing about what I found – and applying it to auctions. And I’m loving it.

Visit me often to see what I come up with. I would also like to share stories and photos of what you find and your collections. Click my Contact page.

What is my stuff worth?

Here are some tips for things you can do on your own to help determine what your items are worth:

First, try the web. Search for items similar to yours.
Go to the library or browse at a bookstore. Look through price and collector's guides pertaining to your item.
Get a free or reduced-price appraisal. Find local auction houses in your town and check their websites to see if they offer these quick appraisals. You can find auction houses near you via auctionzip.com.Pay for a real appraisal. This could be your last step or your first step (if you have an item that you already know is valuable).

You can get more detailed information on each of these tips in my blog post on the subject.